PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday termed Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s recent remarks regarding Pakistan’s martyrs as “regrettable,” saying the sacrifices of Pakistan’s security forces were the foundation of the nation’s peace and stability.
Maulana Fazl made a statement during a recent rally in Punjab’s Kasur, where he said that personnel were drawing salaries to fight for the country.
In a statement, the governor said Pakistan’s mosques, Imambargahs and religious seminaries remained secure because of the sacrifices rendered by the country’s armed forces, Frontier Corps and police personnel.
مولانا فضل الرحمٰن کا حالیہ بیان نہ صرف انتہائی افسوسناک بلکہ ہمارے شہداء کی عظیم قربانیوں کی توہین ہے۔ انہیں اپنے الفاظ پر پوری قوم، بالخصوص ان ماؤں، باپوں، بیواؤں اور یتیم بچوں سے معافی مانگنی چاہیے جنہوں نے پاکستان کے لیے اپنے پیاروں کی قربانی دی۔آج اگر ہم اپنے گھروں میں سکون… pic.twitter.com/fZjEwun6Qc
— Faisal Karim Kundi (@fkkundi) July 15, 2026
Governor Kundi said the martyrs are the pride of the nation, adding that their sacrifices had ensured the country’s security and sovereignty. He said Pakistan was engaged in a war against terrorism, particularly against the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, and stressed that political leaders should avoid making statements that could undermine the morale of security forces during such a critical time.
Kundi said the country had achieved independence through immense sacrifices and continued to stand strong because of the bravery and dedication of its martyrs. Referring to Pakistan’s military preparedness, the Governor added that the nation’s strength and resilience were a result of the sacrifices of its armed forces.
The Governor said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s narrative would only please forces hostile to Pakistan and reiterated that the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the security forces and the families of martyrs. He urged the JUI-F chief to apologise to the nation and to the families of the martyrs over his reported remarks.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) strongly condemned the disrespectful and insensitive remarks made by Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the sacrifices of Pakistan’s security personnel and martyrs.
“The sacrifices rendered by our brave armed forces and law enforcement personnel in defence of the country are beyond any worldly consideration. Such remarks undermine the dignity of our martyrs and deeply hurt the sentiments of their bereaved families and the entire nation,” the bar association stated in a statement.
The Karachi Bar Association paid the highest tribute to all martyrs who laid down their lives for the sovereignty, peace, and security of Pakistan. “We respectfully urge Maulana Fazlur Rehman to withdraw his remarks and acknowledge the invaluable sacrifices of our martyrs in the greater national interest.”
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed disappointment over Maulana Fazl’s statement and termed his words “unfair”. Asif said he expected a seasoned politician such as Fazl to be more responsible in his choice of words.
“Linking the sacrifice of military personnel for the homeland to their salary is not only unfair but also tantamount to hurting the sentiments of the martyrs and their families. No one sacrifices their life merely for a salary; there is an ideology, a belief, a duty, and a deep association with the homeland behind it,” Khawaja Asif said.
“One can disagree with the ways [of an entity], but cannot insult that ideology, association, love and sacrifice,” he asserted.
The defence minister went on to say that declaring the security personnel’s sacrifices “a result of salaries” was not political criticism but “moral insensitivity”.
He said Fazl had hurt the sentiments of security personnel, as well as martyrs, their widows and orphaned children.
